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Graphic on a blue background with an action shot of a Toronto pitcher with the OUA Tennis Championship logo and event details next to the photo.
October 10, 2024

Banner Season: Tennis serves up exciting field of competition for 2024-25 Championships

Burlington, Ont. – Championship season is in full swing, returning to the Mayfair Club (East) for the 2024-25 edition of the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) Tennis Championships. Eight teams will compete over the course of three days from October 11th to 13th, including the defending champions Toronto Varsity Blues taking to the court.

CHAMPIONSHIP DETAILS:

When: Friday, October 11 to Sunday October 13 | FULL SCHEDULE
Where: Mayfair Club East, Toronto
Participating Schools (8): Brock Badgers, McMaster Marauders, Ottawa Gee-Gees, Queen's Gaels, Toronto Varsity Blues, Waterloo Warriors, Western Mustangs, York Lions
Defending Champions: Toronto Varsity Blues (W), Toronto Varsity Blues (M)

ATHLETES TO WATCH

Sierra Ausman, Queen's Gaels | Playing since she was five years old, Ausman will look to bring her talents to OUA tennis. The Oakville, Ont. native holds a 6-2 record playing at the No. 1 position and is excited to represent Queen's in their first OUA appearance in 20 years.

Fiona Barkovic, Brock Badgers | The first-year from Burlington, Ont. has been an amazing addition to the Brock team. She is currently 5-1 at the No. 3 singles position, helping put the Badgers on a hot streak with her most recent deciding singles match win over Western.

Ashton Cross, Western Mustangs | Cross was named OUA player of the year in 2023 after an undefeated season playing at the No. 1 singles position. The London, Ont. product is undefeated thus far in 2024 at the No. 2 singles spot.

Anastasiya Dyadchenko, Toronto Varsity Blues | The 2023 OUA player and rookie of the year will look to lead the Varsity Blues to another championship. The second-year social sciences student who was named Toronto's women's rookie of the year and Frank Pindar athlete of the year last season, recorded a perfect 4-0 doubles record this season and a 5-1 singles mark.

Eva Feddema, McMaster Marauders | Now in her fourth year, Feddema has been a principal member of the team since her rookie season. Coach Magi looks at her as a "cornerstone" piece to the team and with good reason, as Feddema has been dominant so far throughout her collegiate career. The Marauders will rely heavily on her at the championships.

Amaan Khakiani, McMaster Marauders | The 6'2 athlete had a very strong season and is expected to help lead the Marauders to end of season brilliance. According to Coach Jamal, "Khakiani is eager to contribute to the team's success and hopes to bring home some championship hardware."

Aldiana Lazoja, Waterloo Warriors | The Kitchener, Ont. native will look to better her team's silver medal performance in 2023 with gold this year. Lazoja shone with a dominant 6-3, 6-2 singles victory in the Warriors' thrilling match against the Varsity Blues. Though the Blues claimed the title, Lazoja's outstanding performance was a highlight in a hard-fought battle.

Matthew Li, Waterloo Warriors | The 2023 rookie of the year, played a crucial role in the Warriors bronze medal win over the York Lions at last year's OUA championships. The Guelph, Ont. product secured a pivotal three-set victory, helping Waterloo walk away with third place. His outstanding performance throughout the season has marked him as a standout player with a bright future in the sport.

Ryan Navarro, Queen's Gaels | Heading into the OUA championships, the third-year medical student has locked down an undefeated record (10-0). Prior to his time in Kingston, Navarro played Division 1 tennis at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. where he primarily played in the No. 1 spot.

Jeslyn Peng, Western Mustangs | In her first year with the Mustangs, Peng has a 4-1 record in singles and 5-1 record in doubles. Prior to coming to Western, she competed in the 2022 Canada Summer Games representing Manitoba.

Mia Soccio, York Lions | Soccio has "the world's nastiest slice backhand," according to head coach Ken Crosina. She has shown tremendous results playing No. 1 singles and doubles for the Lions. Once again, Soccio led York to a winning record with her skill and her infectious smile, as York finished the season 7-2.

Cynthia Szebini, Brock Badgers | The rookie from Niagara Falls, Ont. is at the No. 1 doubles spot for Brock and she is expected to be a big part of the Badgers efforts this weekend.

Maxim Tokarev, York Lions | The fourth-year criminology student led the York men's contingent to a bronze medal in 2022 and looks to get the Lions back on the podium this fall. Tokarev is a solid baseline player with a sneaky quickness and a strong net presence in doubles.

Alex Williams, Brock Badgers | Another rookie on the Badgers squad, Williams won his first two matches at No. 2 quite handily, moving him up to the No. 1 spot for Brock. The sport management student has taken sets off strong players from both Ottawa and Western and is a strong competitor, looking to make waves this weekend.

Rassam Yazdi, Toronto Varsity Blues | Heading into his sixth championship, Yazdi, the 2022 OUA player of the year and a three-time OUA all-star, went 6-1 in singles action this season, while also going 5-2 in doubles play.

BURNING QUESTIONS

  1. Having held the men's tennis championship title from 2018 to 2022, can the Mustangs return to top spot, a place they know quite well?
  2. How will the Queen's Gaels tennis teams cap off their historic return to varsity status?
  3. After their silver medal finish last year and with their eyes on gold this time around, will the Warriors women's tennis squad find redemption in 2024?
  4. Will the Toronto Varsity Blues be able to defend their provincial title sweep with a talented pool of challengers in the mix?

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING

"As a team, I want us to be known as one that works hard at every point and that we don't give up at any point. We have a program that is improving each year and now we need to go from improving to getting results." – Todd Greene, Head Coach, Brock Badgers

"It feels good to be back after 20 years. Naturally, we've had to navigate obstacles throughout the season, but these challenges become minimal when supported by such an amazing team with a ton of talent and drive. Bringing the team to varsity has been a huge accomplishment for Queen's students, but now we're striving for something bigger." – Jane Jia, (Team Captain) Student-Athlete, Queen's Gaels

"This is a special year as we have a large group of first year players from both the men's and women's team. I think it will be a fun OUA championships with a mixed dynamic of veterans and rookies to defend our very strong results from last season. Our goal is definitely to at least defend our silver and bronze medals from last year and strive for even more." - Matthew Li, Student-Athlete, Waterloo Warriors

"We have a great mix of older and younger players on the team this year, and all players are extremely committed to achieving success at the upcoming OUA championships." - Wilson Boyle, Head Coach Men's Tennis, Western Mustangs

"Being a young team with four rookies on the starting line-up we are looking forward to them representing us well at their first OUA championships and getting some great experience to build on for future years!" - Chantal Forristal, Co-Head Coach Women's Tennis, Western Mustangs